q & a

Thank you all for such great questions!  Some of them really made me think.  Okay, now for the answers - I think I got all the questions asked, if I missed one, let me know and I'll answer it in the comments.  If you have a few hours to kill, read on.

Sewing/Crafting

1. Other than your sewing machine, what is your favorite, couldn't-craft-without-it sewing tool?  Hmm, there are so many.  I definitely couldn’t do without my various rulers and my trusty seam ripper.
2. What kind of sewing machine do you have and do you have a serger? I have three sewing machines – a Singer (bottom of the line), a EuroPro Craft-n-Sew(also cheap), a Riccar industrial machine, and I recently inherited a Juki serger, but I’m still afraid of that.
3. How did you learn how to sew? Did you teach yourself? I remember watching my grandma sew, but I’ve never had a lesson or had someone sit down at a sewing machine with me to show me how to do anything.  I guess you can say that I’m self-taught.
4. How often do you change your needle (say you were working with just one fabric weight...is that possible?) I change my needle quite frequently.  When I sew clothing, I’ll change my needle after each garment.  For bags, I’ll change it after I’ve sewn a few.
5. What I would like to know is what would you definitely NOT try to sew? The first thing that comes to mind is stage curtains.  My husband wanted me to make some for his school, um, no thank you.  I won’t sew clothing for other people either, well other than my kiddos.
6. How do you approach designing something new?  Most of my designs start with inspiration from something – a detail on a little girl’s dress, an element I saw on a bag in a catalog, something.  I keep a sketchbook near by to keep all my ideas.  When I get the urge to make something new I’ll sketch it out or jot down what's on my mind.  If I’m making a purse I’ll then start working on a paper pattern.  Sometimes it takes me 3 or 4 tries before I start working with fabric.  I hate to waste fabric!   Then I make it up.  I generally make 2-3 versions before I’m happy with something.
7. Have you ever thought of venturing off into the realm of sewing your own swimsuits?  I briefly thought about making myself a skirted bottom right before vacation because I couldn’t find one, but other than that, no.
8. Have you always been an artsy-crafty babe?  I've been crafting and making things for as long as I can remember, since I was a little kid.
9. Do you craft with people locally, or is your "craft group" basically everyone online? I wish!  I’d love to have a local craft group.  So, if there’s anyone reading in the greater Baton Rouge area and want to start a group, let me know!!
10. When do you start [knitting]? Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll take up knitting.  All the beautiful yarns I see out in blogland are seriously tempting me!

Personal

1. What's your very earliest childhood memory? What really freaked you out and stuck with you to this day, as a child?  My earliest childhood memory is watching cartoons with my mom while eating toast and drinking coffee-milk.  I can remember the place we lived at the time, so I must have been around 2-3.  From the same time period I remember being freaked out by my bunk beds.  To this day I don’t like sleeping on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed.
2. What was your #1 most embarrassing moment during your teen years?  I don’t really remember any embarrassing moments, but I do remember being super embarrassed about having to drive around my grandmothers big ole brown 1984 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.  That thing was a barge!
3. What did you want to be when you grew up? What do you want to be when you grow up? :) I have a letter that I wrote to myself when I was in 8^th grade where I said that I wanted to “make stuff and live in a cute apartment” when I grew up.  When I was in high school I said that I wanted to be a lawyer, but once I got to college I changed my tune.  I wanted to go into interior design or architecture, but I was too chicken.  I’m still not exactly sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I know that I still want to “make stuff”.  Through having my blog I have learned that I really enjoy the design process of making projects.
4. What is it you do for your full-time not mommy job? and what was your major in college? I work in the IT field (Information Technology - boring computer stuff).  In college I majored in Art History.  You see the connection, right?
5. I'd like to know how you met your husband! Tell us the story.  We were introduced in passing by his sister at a softball game.  At the time, me and my boyfriend would hang out with her and her boyfriend.  Fast forward a year or so – I was a freshman in college, dancing the night away at the Varsity.  I happen to see Matt there and I remembered who he was.  Since I had a few beers in me (back then the drinking age in La.was 18, so it was legal), I had the nerve to go up to him and ask, “aren’t you Lori’s brother?” I don’t even think I knew his name.  We talked and danced, and at the end of the night he asked for my phone number.  At this point we had both had many beers, so I thought there was no way he’d remember my number, so I told him.  Much to my surprise, he remembered it.  It took a few dates before I liked him, but after about two months, I wrote in my diary that I would marry him one day.  We married almost 4 years later.
6. How did your marriage proposal take place?  My husband proposed at a park under a huge oak tree on the 4^th of July.  He got down on one knee after I had spent that last hour talking about how we’d never get married because he didn’t have a job, blah blah blah.  Yes, I was surprised.

7. When do you sleep? I don’t.  I get by on 5-6 hours a night.  By Thursday I'm dragging big time!  I try to catch up on weekends.

8. How do you fit it all in/do it all?  Believe me, I don’t!  We eat a lot of quick easy meals (or take out), I’m rarely caught up on my laundry and my house is never as clean as I’d like it to be.  Sometimes things are terribly out of whack, but most of the time things balance out.  I honestly don’t know stay at home moms do it.  I get way more accomplished while I’m working than when I have time off.  I think working forces me to be more efficient in everything that I do.  My time is a very precious commodity!

9. Who are a few artists/crafters that have been inspiring you lately? Right now I’m, enjoying Pink Lemonade Boutique, a recent find.  I really like her style.  I always look forward to seeing Sulu Designs ear rings, which are super fabulous.  And last but not least is Joel Dewberry’s line of fabric, my heart started racing when I first laid eyes on it, seriously!

Blogging

1. Does anyone in your real life know about your blog and do they read it?  Yeah, people in my real life know about my blog, but very few read it, not even my husband unless I specifically tell him to read a post.  They’re just not interested.  Most people I know don’t get the whole blog thing. 
2. How much time do you spend a day blogging? Oh gosh, I have no idea!   I spend bits of time through out the day, (before work, after work, before bed) but over all I’d say a couple of hours (is it really that much?).  Of course there are those days when I get totally lost in blogs and spend hours and days where I don’t even turn on the computer.  If it weren’t for Bloglines, I couldn’t do it, really.  There’s no way I could keep up.
3. Just what do you like least about blogging? The guilt I feel about not being to comment on and read all the blogs of those who visit.
4. What, or who, inspired you to start your blog? The first blogs I read were mommy blogs, then I came across a few craft blogs and wanted to join in the fun.  I’m pretty sure the first craft related blog I ever read was ljcfyi, but the first craft blog that ever clicked for me was Soulemama.
5. Do you find typepad worth paying to $50 bucks a year?  I started blogging with Blogger, and comparing the two, I like Typepad better.  I don’t like paying for it, but I think it's worth it.
6. What kind of camera do you use? Did you take any classes on photography...or how did you improve? First off, my photography is not that great!  I don’t have a fancy camera, it’s a Canon PowerShot SD450.  I’ve never taken a photography class, though I’d like to.  What has helped me improve is learning about what my camera can do, and how to do it (read that manual!) as well as looking at photography that I admire.
7. What's the biggest lesson you've learned to taking good photos. I guess reading your camera’s manual.  I've attempted to read stuff on the internet about taking good pictures, but it bores me to death!  Also, you need to pay attention to everything that is in your view.  I think my better pictures are those where I’ve gotten closer to the subject that I think I should.  I think my "product" shots still suck big time.  I need to work on taking better pictures of my bags. 

Random

1. What are three things you must have in your bag when you go out? Credit card/money, lip gloss, and my cell phone.
2. What would you do if you received $500,000 (tax free) and *had* to spent one-half on yourself and give the other half away.  For my half, I’d spend the money paying off all my debts – house, car, student loans, then with whatever is left I'd use to take a trip.  For the other half, I’d give it to my church.
3. If you could spend the day with anyone living or deceased who would it be?  This was the hardest question for me to answer.  I wanted to choose some famous person who was inspirational and profound, but I came up with nothing.  If I could choose anyone, it would be my grandfather.  He played a big role in my life, a bigger role than I ever realized.  He passed away 8 or 9 years ago.  I wish that I could spend time with him now, to tell him about his great-grand children, my life today, and thank him for all that he ever did for me.
4. Do you remember your dreams, and if you do, have you ever been inspired to do or make something because of a dream? I do frequently remember my dreams, but I don’t recall being inspired by them.  The last dream I vividly remember was about aliens destroying the earth, then I dreamt that alligators were chasing my family.  Yeah, I’m having a little anxiety about an upcoming business trip to the west coast that I’m taking alone!
5. If you wanted to totally jam out (exercise, dance or just at home Risky Business-style) what three (or more if you'd like...) songs would you want to hear? "Holiday" by Madonna, "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani, "London Bridge" by Fergie and "Give it To Me" by Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake.
6. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be, with whom and why? I would love to go to Greece, to visit the ancient ruins, with Matt, of course.  I can’t think of anyone other than him I’d want to share that with.
7. Have you ever had a stalker? Hee hee, I don’t think so.
8. How, exactly, did you get so fabulous?  Me, fabulous?  Yeah, right!  I’m just a mom who likes to make things.

And now what you've all been waiting for - the drawing.  I used a random number generator to select a number between 1 and 52, and the winner is comment #46, Erin S.  Congrats Erin!!  I'll get something off to you soon!

 

Comments

[Lera]

Wow, Beki. You are a very interesting lady. Thanks for sharing.

[erin s.]

Wow Beki it's so neat to learn new things about you! Funny that you have a major in art history and work in IT. I have a friend who has the same degree and works in IT. There must be some connection :o)

As for being the winner in your draw, I am so excited! I know what ever it is it will be great!

[amandajean]

thanks for sharing and opening yourself up to questions. this was a lot of fun to read.

[kathryn]

Oooh, I loved finding out what you do to "pay the bills." I majored in biology because I was too scared of design school, but now I'm in parks and recreation. And my office is right next door to athletics. My career path makes absolutely no sense either...

Now, if only I could get by on so few hours of sleep. Yet another reason to admire the artsy-crafty babe!

Thanks for sharing Beki!

[Renee]

Okay, Beki, I learned so much about you and I thought I knew almost everything already! Very interesting answers and I'm so impressed that you got to them all.

[erin]

you rock!

[capello]

are you trying to say i should change the needle in my sewing machine? because i've been using that machine for over three years and i haven't changed the needle once.

is the needle even changeable?

[Sharon]

Beki - this is a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing your answers. You are a delightful and interesting lady. I have a friend in Slaughter, LA, but I don't think she ever got into crafting/sewing.

[monica yvette]

Very interesting interview, and how cool that you met your hubby at the Varsity. I lived in B.R. for years and saw some great shows there. Loved it.

[Jools]

Thanks, it's been really interesting reading your answers.

[Zoe]

Reading all of this was so interesting! I wish that I lived by you! We could start a crafting group! I am always trying to get the girls in my neighborhood together!

I am glad that you did this - I feel like I know you better!

[Mirre]

Nice to get to know a little more about yourself :)

[Brigitta]

this was really nice Beki, great to find out a bit more about you. But aren't you curious about your fans sometimes?

[kat]

How fun to read :)
thanks for sharing Beki – it was great fun reading all about the artsy-crafty babe that you are :)

[heidi]

it stuns me how much we truly have in common Beki. thanks for the peek into your world!

[Julie]

So fun to learn more about you! Love Soulemama's blog and I just recently came across Pink Lemonade's handbags... so cute!

[africankelli]

I read every answer. I only wish we lived closer so we could craft in person! Love it. :)

[laeroport]

Fun Q&A, Beki!

[Robyn]

this was so much fun reading about you! it's nice to find things in common. Oh, and no one I've told about my blog reads it. Not even my best friend. they're just not interested, although sometimes I think, this is a big part of me, how can you not be interested? but whatever. Oh, and don't have anxiety about your trip. You go enjoy some time by yourself and then come back and love your family even more. :0)

[Amy]

I really enjoyed reading this! It's great to find another mom who works outside the home and manages to squeeze in time for creative activities like sewing :)

Your husband sounds like quite a catch!

I'd love to visit Greece some day too. It sounds so beautiful and I loooove Greek cuisine.

[Chara Michele]

This was so much fun to read! :) Thanks for sharing all of it with all of us!

[Melissa]

So fun to get to know a bit more about you. I love your blog! Always so inspirtional. Have fun on your trip.

[Lucy]

I loved reading your post and learning more about you. You are so real and inspiring. Now when I try to squeeze in some sewing time, i try to think of you....Thanks for being open!